Cutting system having improved anvil means

ABSTRACT

A cutting system for flexible work including a cutter having a cutting edge and anvil means having a plurality of closely-spaced elongate work-contacting means whose unattached ends contact the work, such work-contact means in the aggregate being sufficiently stiff in their longitudinal direction to constrain the work against movement away from the cutter and being flexible in a direction generally laterally of their longitudinal direction to receive the cutting edge of the cutter therebetween.

United States a Patent 1191 Lee [451 Aug. 21, 1973 CUTTING SYSTEM HAVING IMPROVED ANVIL MEANS [75] lnvento'rz Charles A. Lee, Knoxville, Tenn.

[73] Assignee: International Paper Company, New

York, NY.

[22] Filed: June 24, 1971 [21] Appl, No.: 156,185

[52] US. Cl 83/315, 83/801, 83/796, 83/659 [51] Int. Cl B23d 25/06, B23d 53/04 [58] Field of Search 143/47 6; 83/425, 83/659, 327, 328, 20107, 315, 801, 794, 796, 434

[56] References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 3,508,460 4/1970 Goettsch 83/659 Parker 143/47 G 3,338,125 8/1967 Casey 83/659 FOREIGN PATENTS OR APPLICATIONS 1,270,310 7/1961 France 143/470 Primary ExaminerDonald R. Schran Attorney-Fitch, Even, Tabin & Luedeka 57 ABSTRACT A cutting system for flexible work including a cutter having a cutting edge and anvil meanshaving a plurality of closely-spaced elongate work-contacting means whose unattachedends contact the work, such workcontact means in the aggregate being sufficiently stiff in their longitudinal direction to constrain the work against movement away from the cutter and being flexible in a direction generally laterally of their longitudinal direction to receive the cutting edge of the cutter therebetween.

4 Claims, 6 Drawing Figures PATENIED M1821 3. 753.380

sum 1 or 2 25 INVENTOR.

Charles A. Lee

ATTORNEYS.

PAIENIEU mm 4915 SHEET 2 OF 2 INVENTOR. Charles A L BY 211, Z

ATTORNEYS,

CUTTING SYSTEM HAVING IMPROVED ANVIL MEANS This invention relates to cutting systems and specifically to a cutting system having improved back up means for the material being cut, usually called an anvil.

In a typical cutting system a cutter, such as a blade, is provided on one side of an item to be cut and an anvil is provided on the opposite side of the work to constrain the work against movement away from the cutter when the cutter is brought into contact with the item to produce a cut. In the prior art, the anvils have generally included smooth and usually hard surfaces of various configurations including cylinders and plates.

A continuing problem with existing cutting systems concerns the dulling or blunting of the cutting edge of a cutter when it passes through the work and contacts the anvil surface. This problem is especially troublesome where it is desired that the cut extend fully through the work. By way of example, heretofore it has been proposed to use slotted anvils or anvils having resilient surfaces to avoid dulling of the blade due to the blade bearing against the anvil. Slotted anvils present problems concerning the keeping of the cutter in register with the slot or slots, whereas resilient anvils often do not provide the proper relationship between the material being cut and the blade and also are usually quickly destroyed by the repeated cuts produced when the cutting edge contacts the anvil.

The severing of flexible work, such as textiles or nonwoven materials has presented problems heretofore due to the tendency of the work to drape into the slots of slotted anvils rather than being held tautly bridged across the slot as is desirable for producing a clean cut.

Accordingly, it is an object of the present invention to provide an improved cutting system. It is also an object to provide a novel anvil for a cutting system. It is a further object to provide an improved system for cutting flexible materials. Other objects and advantages of the invention will become apparent from the following description including the drawings in which:

FIG. 1 is a top view representation of a cutting system including various features of the invention;

FIG. 2 is a fragmentary side view of the system of FIG. 1;

FIG. 3 is a fragmentary end view of the system of FIG. 1;

FIG. 4 is an enlarged fragmentary view, in section, of the cutting region of the system of FIG. 3;

FIG. 5 is a representation of a further cutting system embodying various features of the invention;

FIG. 6 is a fragmentary, side elevational, view of the apparatus of FIG. 5.

Stated broadly, the cutting system includes a cutter having a cutting edge disposed generally on one side of the work and an anvil disposed on the opposite side of the work, the anvil being adapted to constrain the work against movement away from the cutter and to receive the cutting edge of the cutter following penetration of the work by the cutter. The preferred anvil comprises a plurality of closely spaced elongate work-contacting members, such as a bed of bristles, secured at one of their ends to a base or core and extending generally from the base or core toward the work in a manner such that their unattached tips define an anvil surface for receiving the work in contact therewith. The preferred bristles are closely spaced one to another so as to provide in the aggregate a generally non-yielding surface in compression. The individually preferred bristles, however, are flexible in a direction generally laterally of their longitudinal direction so that when the cutting edge of the cutter penetrates the work, it will part the bristles and be received therebetween. Beneficially, the parting of the bristles does not appreciably detract from their ability to constrain the work and the cutter fully and evenly penetrates the work to produce a clean uniform cut.

Representations of a cutting system having improved anvil means are provided in FIGS. 1 to 4. A web 10, for example a creped tissue web, is fed forwardly to a cutting station indicated generally by the numeral 12 to be split into two widths 14 and 16 in the illustrated system. The cutting station includes anvil means 18 comprising a cylindrical brush 20 disposed on one side 22 of the web 10 and a disc slitter blade 24 disposed generally on that side 26 of the web 10 opposite the anvil 18 but having a portion of its arcuate cutting edge 25 received among the bristles. As the web 10 moves past the cutting station 12, the web is slit longitudinally by the blade 24 into two widths.

The anvil 18 comprises a cylindrical brush 20 including a plurality of bristles 28 which are secured at one of their respective ends 30 to a central core 32. The other ends 34 of the bristles are unattached and their tips 36 form a generally cylindrical surface 38. As the web 10 is advanced through the cutting station, it contacts the tips 36 of many bristles 28 and is constrained against movement away from the slitter blade 24. More specifically, the web bears against the tips of many bristles which, in the aggregate, are generally non-yielding in their longitudinal direction and provide an area of resistance .to the web to constrain it against movement away from the cutter. The slitter blade 24 is mounted with respect to the anvil so that the force exerted by the blade 24 against the web 10 in performing the cut is-directed generally along the longitudinal direction of the many bristles 28 which contact the web, thereby advantage is taken of the aggregate longitudinal rigidities of the closely spaced bristles and the web is effectively constrained against movement away from the blade while being cut. Consequently, it is unnecessary that each individual bristle be non-yielding nor need it be capable individually of supplying the desired constraint of the web.

In the system illustrated in FIGS. 1 through 4, the blade 24 stationarily mounted on an axle 37 and the anvil 18 is rotated by means of a belt drive system 44 connecting an axle 39 secured to the core 32 of the anvil to a motor 46 through a gear reducer 48. Preferably, the anvil 18 is rotated at a tangential speed equal to the forward speed of the web 10 so as to avoid the possibility of the bristles tearing the web by reason of their moving faster or slower than the web.

In the cutting process, the cutting edge 25 of the slitter blade 24 is received among the bristles thereby assuring that the web 10 which is constrained by the tips 36 of the bristles is fully penetrated by the blade and a clean complete cut is made. As best seen in the enlarged fragmentary view of FIG. 4, the cutting edge 25 of the blade 24 generally defines a narrow line of force and the bristles 28, which in the aggregate provide substantial resistance to the web, possess insubstantial line resistance and part in a generally lateral direction to re ceive the cutting edge therebetween without the bristles being severed or otherwise cut by the blade.

The anvil may be made of relatively inexpensive materials and by employing conventional brush manufacturing technology. For example, bristles made of nylon fibers of about 0.020 inch diameter and about one-half inch long when disposed on a cylindrical core of about inches diameter are collectively suitably nonyielding in their longitudinal direction for constraining a multiple layered creped tissue webduring slitting or severing thereof when the bristles are present in a population density of about 480 tips per square inch on the circumference of the anvil. Greater concentrations and/or stiffer bristles aggregately provide greater resistance to the web and are useful when cutting webs which require such greater resistance from the anvil.

The individual bristles of the anvil 18, however, are not so stiff as to prevent the cutter from entering between the bristles. On the contrary, the several bristles are individually limber or at least yielding in a lateral direction so that the cutting edge of the blade readily parts the bristles and enters between the bristles. Moreover, the bristles give way laterally in a manner that permits the cutting edge to move among the bristles without the cutting edge of the blade severing or cutting one or more of the bristles.

In FIGS. 5 and 6, for purposes of illustration, the cutting system is embodied in an apparatus 110 for severing a heavier article, e. g. a pleated folded web 114, formed of multiple layers of creped tissue. In the depicted embodiment, it is desired that a continuous pleated and folded web 114 be severed into individual pieces, each of a predetermined length. Accordingly,

the embodiment is shown with means for advancing the continuous web 114, but it is not intended that the invention be limited to the severing of continuous webs.

In the illustrated apparatus, the pleated web 114 is severed by means of a continuous cutting blade 116, as best seen in FIGS. 5 and 6, in the form of an endless band which is mounted for cutting on the fly by means which moves the endless band blade 116 into engagement with the pleated web 114 and then travels in a downward direction while severing and then retracts the blade from the web after having severed the same.

Referring in greater detail to the apparatus illustrated in FIGS. 5 and 6, a continuous web 114 is fed downwardly from a supply (not shown) through a pair of nip rollers 118 and 120 to a cutting station 122 where the web is severed into individual lengths. Measurement of the web 114 into individual lengths and timed operation of the cutting blade 116 to sever the web are accomplished through monitoring the revolutions of the nip rolls 118 and 120 and timing the functioning of the cutting system in accordance therewith.

The illustrated cutting system includes a continuous band cutter carried on a pair of spaced wheels 124 and 126, one of which is driven by a motor 128. Preferably the band is disposed in a plane which is inclined to the vertical and includes a lower run 130 disposed adjacent to the web 114 at the position where the web contacts a cylindrical brush anvil 132 disposed on that side of the web opposite the blade.

As illustrated the brush anvil 132 is rotated by a motor 134 connected to the anvil through a drive belt 136 and a gear reducer 138. The tangential speed of the anvil is maintained equal to the liner speed of the web fed to the cutting station by the nip rollers 118 and 120. This correlation of speeds is accomplished in the illustrated embodiment by extending the drive belt 136 into driving connection with at least one of the nip rollers 118 so as to drive the nip rollers and the brush anvil from a common power source and at a common tangential speed. It will be recognized, however, that other methods of driving the nip rolls and the brush anvil are acceptable and that if desired, the nip rolls may be driven independently of the brush anvil but in timed relation therewith.

As noted above, the endless band cutter 116 is mounted for cutting on the fly" which in the illustrated embodiment comprises moving the lower cutting run of the blade into contact with the web, moving the blade downwardly with the web for a period of time sufficient to permit the driven cutting blade to penetrate the web and sever it, followed by movement of the blade away from the web and upwardly to the point of beginning. In the depicted apparatus, the shafts 140 and 142 of the wheels 124 and 126 are journaled in mounts 144 and 146 which extend upward from a platform 148. The platform 148 is connected at its end nearest the cutting station 122 with'an eccentric 150 which is rotated by a motor 152 connected thereto by belt means 154. The opposite end of the platform is slidably connected to an arm 156 which is pivotally anchored at one of its ends 158 to thereby permit the platform to traverse a cyclical path when the eccentric 150 is rotated. This path carries the lower run 130 of the blade into contact with the web; thence generally with the web; thence away from the web and to the point of beginning. This capacity to cut on the fly permits the cutting system to accommodate a high output production time.

As the blade contacts the web, the web is constrained by the aggregated bristles of the anvil. Upon penetration of the web by the blade as the cut is made, the cutting edge of the blade continues its movement in the direction of the anvil, parts the bristles and moves among them. In the depicted apparatus the brush anvil is being turned continually. Contrary to the prior art slotted anvils, it is not necessary that the rotation of the brush anvil be regulated to cause the blade to contact the anvil at a given position once each cycle so that the blade will be properly received in the anvil. In point of fact, the present brush anvil will properly receive the blade at any position about the circumference of the anvil and there is no requirement that the anvil be rotated in a manner such that a selected portion of the anvil be in register with the blade as it is orbited into cutting engagement with the web.

In accordance with a further feature of the disclosed system, the cutting edge of the blade is cleaned following a cutting operation. Specifically, when the cutting edge of the blade parts the bristles and enters among the bristles, those bristles adjacent the blade bear against the sides of the cutting edge and wipe it clean of foreign matter as the blade is moved through the bristles. This feature has been found to be of particular importance in the severing of webs which include ther moplastic material wich when out with a sharp blade, tends to melt under the heat of friction generated at the cutting edge with resultant deposition of a thin film of plastic on the cutting edge. This film of plastic dulls the cutting edge and decreases the cutting capability of the blade during subsequent cutting operations. The bristles of the anvil disclosed herein sweep such plastic film from the cutting edge thereby keeping the cutting edge clear of plastic and sharp for subsequent cutting operations.

By reason of its ability to enter among the bristles of the disclosed anvil, the cutting edge of blades employed in cutting systems of the kind disclosed herein remains sharp and performs clean cuts for extended periods of time without requiring the system to be shut down for exchange of the blade or sharpening of the blade. As noted above, the cutting edge of the blades does not bear against the bristles of the disclosed anvil and therefore the cutting edge is not dulled or blunted as has heretofore occurred with smooth hard surfaced anvils. Moreover, because the brush anvil is not destroyed by the action of the cutting edge of the blade, the anvil of the present disclosure continues to serve in a suitable manner for long period of operation.

The multiplicity of the bristles and their preferred random orientation present many bristle tips on the outer circumference of the anvil for contacting the web. The web thus is constrained as by a generally continuous surface and neither moves away from the blade nor is it punctured by the bristles, thereby making this anvil means useful for severing many varied webs but particularly useful when cutting thin webs of low strength. As noted hereinbefore, single ply creped tissue webs are readily severed, without otherwise adversely altering the web, by cutting systems employing an anvil of the kind disclosed herein.

Whereas, flexible bristles of a material such as nylon having one of their ends secured in a rigid core and extending therefrom form a suitable anvil for use in the system disclosed herein, many other bristle materials form suitable anvils. Small diameter wire bristles anchored in either a rigid or flexible core, such as rubber or the like, also perform in the desired manner as an anvil. Similarly, it is recognized that an anvil comprising a planar, or generally planar, bed of bristles satisfactorily functions to constrain a web and receive the blade following a cut as herein described.

Whereas specific embodiments have been shown and described, it will be understood that there is no intent to limit the invention by such disclosure, but, rather, it

is intended to cover all modifications and alternate construction falling within the spirit and scope of the invention as defined in the appended claims.

What is claimed is: l. A cutting system for performing a cut on continuously fowardly moving work comprising cutter means including a blade having a cutting edge, means mounting said cutter means for movement in an orbital path which includes a period when said cutting edge penetrates said moving work, anvil means disposed on that side of said moving work opposite said cutter means, said anvil means including a base having an axis of rotation and a plurality of closely spaced elongate members secured at one of their respective ends to said base and extending radially from said axis of rotation to contact said work with their unattached ends, said elongate members being yieldable in a direction generally laterally of their longitudinal direction and in the aggregate being generally non-yielding in their longitudinal direction under the force of contact with said work, and means rotating said anvil means base about its axis of rotation at a speed sufficient to produce a tangential surface speed of the unattached ends of said elongate members approximately equal to the forward speed of said work whereby said unattached ends of said elongate members constrain said work against movement away from said cutter means during cutting thereof and receive said cutting edge of said cutter means therebetween following penetration of said work by said cutting edge.

2. The cutting system of claim 1 wherein said unattached ends of said elongate members of said anvil means define a generally cylindrical surface.

3. The cutting system of claim 1 wherein said elongate members of said anvil means are secured to said base at randomly spaced locations thereon.

4. The cutting system of claim 1 wherein said cutter means includes an endless blade having a run which contacts and severs said work as said cutter means is moved along its orbital path.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE CERTIFICATE OF CORRECTION Patent No. 3,753,380 ate August 21, 1973 Inventor( 3) Charles A Lee It is certified that error appears in the above-identified patent and that said Letters Patentare hereby corrected as shown below:

Col. 2, line 3, change "individually" to "individual- Col. 3, line a, change "3/4" to 4 3/4 Signed and sealed this 6th day of August 1974.

(SEAL) Attest:

McCOY M. GIBSON, JR. C. MARSHALL DANN Attesting Officer Commissioner. of Patents USCOMM-DC 60376-P69 FORM PO-105O (10-69) 1: us. covnrmsu-r ram-nus orrlc: nu o-su-su. 

1. A cutting system for performing a cut on continuously fowardly moving work comprising cutter means including a blade having a cutting edge, means mounting said cutter means for movement in an orbital path which includes a period when said cutting edge penetrates said moving work, anvil means disposed on that side of said moving work opposite said cutter means, said anvil means including a base having an axis of rotation and a plurality of closely spaced elongate members secured at one of their respective ends to said base and extending radially from said axis of rotation to contact said work with their unattached ends, said elongate members being yieldable in a direction generally laterally of their longitudinal direction and in the aggregate being generally non-yielding in their longitudinal direction under the force of contact with said work, and means rotating said anvil means base about its axis of rotation at a speed sufficient to produce a tangential surface speed of the unattached ends of said elongate members approximately equal to the forward speed of said work whereby said unattached ends of said elongate members constrain said work against movement away from said cutter means during cutting thereof and receive said cutting edge of said cutter means therebetween following penetration of said work by said cutting edge.
 2. The cutting system of claim 1 wherein said unattached ends of said elongate members of said anvil means define a generally cylindrical surface.
 3. The cutting system of claim 1 wherein said elongate members of said anvil means are secured to said base at randomly spaced locations thereon.
 4. The cutting system of claim 1 wherein said cutter means includes an endless blade having a run which contacts and severs said work as said cutter means is moved along its orbital path. 